Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Expedition owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Expedition. After driving the vehicle for approximately three minutes and then parking, the contact noticed smoke underneath the hood. She lifted the hood and noticed flames coming from the driver's side of the vehicle. The failure originated at the master cylinder. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 130,000.
I have a 1999 model Ford Expedition. I had had a problem with the brakes. The pedal effort to stop was sometimes very high to make even a gentle stop. The problem was intermittent. I am capable of enough force on the brake pedal to always stop safely but the changes in effort required were surprising. The front pads and rotors were changed last year. The rear brakes were also checked. The brake system seemed to act like the engine was not running to provide the vacuum for the brake booster. After some close calls on the work commute, I decided to check the vacuum hoses between the engine and the brake booster. This vehicle has the brake booster vacuum line running across the firewall behind the engine, connecting to a 'y' to include the pcv valve and then onward to where it connects to the intake manifold. …
I have a 1999 Expedition with 90,000 miles. In early December of 2006, in heavy evening traffic, a car suddenly pulled in front of me and came to a quick stop. I applied the brakes very hard and the pedal went to the floor. I managed to avoid hitting the car that stopped in front of me, but my brakes were gone and I had to limp to the side of the road. Upon inspection, I found that my brake line to the left rear brake had corroded and failed. I got the vehicle home and on a neighbors lift and found that all my brake lines had corroded and needed to be replaced. I had a similar problem with the brake lines on my 1993 econoline that also corroded at about 90000 miles. It appears to me that the brake lines in these vehicles were made from cheap metal and that the manufacturer should look into this problem as it appears to be quite a common occurrence. …
Frankly, I need your advice on a matter of great concern I bought a 1999 Ford Expedition from waldorf Ford in oct 2002. Recently I had a break down; I had three spark plugs blow-out, yesterday I was told that three cylinders are gone due from the damage of the spark plugs. The assistant team mgr said it would cost $6000.00 to get a new engine or get a new vehicle; I couldn't believe my ears. These trucks are lemons and I believe it s time that Ford take responsibility for their actions and recalls these engine. I guess they are waiting for someone to get killed. My truck lost power in the middle of rush hour and I was nearly rear ended. Other noted problems: the emergency brake cable stays on, the engine light stays on while driving and the brakes pads and shoes are worn out at a higher rate.
ABS system malfunctioned resulting in accident; on dry pavement, ABS took braking control but did not apply braking energy to the brakes (only slight braking) despite standing on brake pedal; ABS light was not on at the time; after accident same problem (ABS in control, no light, no braking) but after repeated hard hits to the brake pedal the ABS light came on disengaging the ABS system, allowing normal braking; problem repeated once later in day; next day when taking vehicle to Ford dealer problem would not repeat; had three computer ABS codes which they could not resolve with Ford hotline; they cleared codes; problem would not repeat; charged me for the diagnostics (not under warranty) and told me to bring it back when it repeats; have sent you a copy of my letter to Ford.
I have a 1999 Ford Expedition eddie bauer, on Monday, December 13,2004 I was having brakes and rotors replaced on my truck. The mechanic notified me that there was a major problem with the tie rod end. He said that the bolts were broken on one side and missing on the other. He also stated that he was surprised that the vehicle was still upright and that I had not been in an accident. My vehicle has now been in the shop for 3 days due to this problem. The mechanic who is fixing the problem stated that I needed to find out if there are any recalls on this vehicle for the tie rod end.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Expedition. While driving 25 MPH, he engaged the brake pedal; however, it extended to the floor taking much longer to stop the vehicle. He researched this problem and found that there was a recall for this issue. NHTSA campaign id number: 98V296000, component: service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages is related to the failure. The manufactured stated that his VIN did not apply to the recall. The contact is aware of the safety risk. The failure mileage was 275,950 and the current mileage was 276,000.
Dt: the consumer stated that the brakes failed and the vehicle lost all braking power and the pedal went to the floor. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, and he stated that brake lines corroded. They corroded in the box frame under the driver's door and the brakline broke allowing all of the braking fluid run out. This happened on June 19, 2005. There were no injuries and no crash. This was due to the fact that the vehicle was on a level road and only going 25 MPH.
Dt*: the contact stated while applying brake pressure at 25 MPH on a city street, there was a loss of braking power, and an increased stopping distance. Although no crash occurred, the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop, who determined the steel pipe fittings,hoses, and connections of the brakes were corrosive, and needed to be replaced. Additionally, it was determined the corrosion was due to use of inferior metals. The manufacturer was alerted.
The vehicle was being driven in normal operation when the brake pedal went to the floor and the brake system became ineffective. Vehicle was towed to a brake shop where the brake line on the frame on the driver's side near the door was found to be corroded through and leaking. The brake shop found all metal brake lines corroded and recommended replacement.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Pedals and linkages
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. These vehicles May have a missing or partially installed retainer clip that holds the master cylinder push rod to the brake pedal arm.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect these vehicles to see if the retainer clip was installed, and repair, if necessary.
Brake complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Ford Expedition, 4% of the model year's 946 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Expedition brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 98V-296 (pedals and linkages, Nov 17, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford Expedition brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.